University presidential inaugurations are steeped in age-old tradition. Though they vary widely from one institution to another and from one president to another, inaugurations reflect the history and traditions of higher education, such as the coat of arms, university mace, academic regalia, and processional march, which date back to the Middle Ages. An event distinguished by great ceremony, the presidential inauguration stands out as celebratory milestone in a university's life.

Dr. Daniel S. Papp's inauguration as the third president of Kennesaw State University comes at a time when the university finds it has much to celebrate. The third-largest university in Georgia, Kennesaw State University enjoys regional, national, and international recognition for its high standards of academic excellence and its dedication to student success. An opportunity to formally welcome President Papp, his inauguration showcases the importance and value of the university to the community it serves. Bringing together community leaders, dignitaries, friends of the university, and academic representatives from around the country, this inauguration is a unique moment to acknowledge and celebrate the respected position that Kennesaw State University has carved for itself in the world of higher education.

The inauguration of President Papp is also a rite of passage, signifying the formal assumption of the mantle of leadership. As he takes this mantle, he continues on a path of educational excellence that was first charted by President Horace Sturgis in 1965 and continued by President Betty L. Siegel in 1981. But most important, this inauguration provides Kennesaw State University with the exceptional opportunity to affirm its past, define its purpose to the global community and look to the future.